Research

The Research Mission

With the support of Columbia University and funds from a multimillion dollar grants from the Whitaker Foundation and New York State the department has 12,000 square feet of MR research center space in the Neurological Institute, which is easily accessible by bridges from the new hospital building. This space is devoted to MRI research and to our joint research programs with Columbia University's Department of Biomedical Engineering. Two research-dedicated 1.5T MRIs are present in the area.

Participation by residents in clinical and/or laboratory research is strongly encouraged in our department, but is not required in the residency. Start-up funds, and computer statistical/support are available to help residents with their projects. The faculty devotes high priority to mentoring of residents' research projects. Year after year, several of our residents have papers/posters accepted for presentation at national meetings. In 2000, one of our residents won the Executive Council Award of the American Roentgen Ray Society and presented his paper at a plenary session of the Society's national meeting. Another of our residents was accorded the honor of being selected for the special Holman Pathway research-oriented curriculum recently approved by the American Board of Radiology. In 2004, 18 of our residents presented papers or posters at the Association of University Radiologists meeting.

Residents having abstracts accepted for presentation at a major meeting( e.g., Radiological Society of North America, Association of University Radiologists, etc.) are funded for travel to the meeting. Secretarial and photographic services for preparation of manuscripts and presentations are provided by the department.

The department also has three PET scanners, including a PET-CT that was installed in 2004, an in-house cyclotron, and a state-of-the-art radiochemistry synthesis laboratory. The department opened its Small Animal Imaging Laboratory in September 2001. The laboratory includes a 9.4T mouse MRI, optical imaging and a micro-PET scanner.